Collapsible-tube holder



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,116

I H. M. GREIST COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HOLDER Filed June 16, 1924 i Z MW" Patentecl Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES v I 1,692,116 PATENT OFFICE.

HUBER!!! M. GREIST, OF NEWHAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

COLLAISIBLE-TUBE HOLDER.

Application filed June 16, 1924. Serial No. 720,270.

This invention relates generally to dispensing devices, and has reference more particularly to devices for dispensing toilet preparations, such as tooth paste, shaving cream, soaps, and toilet creams of various kinds which are usually put up in paste form and contained in collapsible tubes. While in some aspects of my invention it will be seen that it is particularly related to the handling of collapsible tubes, it will be apparent that in some respects the novel features disclosed may be employed in other relations as well.

In the common use of such tubes, the paste or cream is discharged by removing the cap and squeezing the tube progressively from its closed end to its discharge end, the emptied portion of the tube being frequently rolled upon itself. However the tube may be manipulated to get at the contents, the present manual method is crude, unsanitary and unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. In the first place, the tube is sometimes first compressed adjacent the outlet end instead of adjacent the base or closed end, and as a general thing,

there is no place provided to support the tubes when not in use so that they are generally laid upon the shelf and quite often the drooling out of the contents causes the tube itself and all of the adjacent articles with which it comes in contact to become smeared by the contents, and hence, a very unsanitary and filthy condition ensues. In addition, it is frequently difiicult to find the particular toilet preparation desired when no special place is provided in which it may be kept.

One 0 ject of my invention, therefore, is to provide a holder or support for collapsible tubes, such that the use of such tubes may be made more convenient and the tube may be emptied of its contents in a more methodical and cleanly manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder or support for collapsible tubes, which ma su port the tubes in the proper position or o taining the contained paste when such is desired, and when the tubes are not in use the holder and tube may be moved to an out of the way or stored position in which the tubes will be maintained in an upright position so that the contents will not tend to leak or drool therefrom. a

A still further object of my invention is to provide a tube holder of the character described, in which the collapsible tube may be readily inserted and secured, and which will be provided with means to collapse the tube in the proper manner to express the contents therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tube holder of the character described, which shall be movably mounted upon a support, the support in turn being mounted in a cabinet or upon the Wall, if desired.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a bathroom cabinet provided with a collapsible tube holder embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is-a front elevational view of one of the tube holders employed;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the tube holder shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line l- 1 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the tube holder and its supporting rod; 7 V

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showingl a slightly modified form of tube holder, an i Fig. 7 is a sectional View on line 77 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown in a conventional way, a cabinet 10 which may be of any desired construction, such as are usually called medicine cabinets and are almost invariably found upon the walls of bathrooms and the like. The cabinet is provided with a swinging door 11.

WVhile other forms of mounting my improved tube support or holder may be employed', I have shown as a convenient and simple device for this purpose, a rod 12 which may extend from side to side of the cabinet and ma be secured therein by being provided at 1ts ends with extension members 13 and 14, having threaded shanks 15 and 16, which screw into the ends of the rod. The extension members are provided with the pointed ends 17 and 18 and maybe polygonal inshape so that a wrench or a pair of pliers may readily be applied to them to secure the rod in place. It will be understood that when the rod isplaced in the proper position in the cabinet and the extension members rotated in the proper direction, the sharpenedends 17 and 18 will be caused to embed themselves in the side walls of the cabinet so as to firmly support the rod therein. In this manner, the

integrallywith the back plate but adjacent the upper end of the holder the plate is separated from the flanges by means of the slots 25 and 26, and as shown in Fig. 4, is inclined I or bent forwardly at 27 so as to beoflset from the rear edges 28 of the flanges.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the late is provided with a tab or car 29, whic 1 forms one of a pair of clamping members to secure the tube n position. The other clamping member is in the form of a plate 30 which may be provided with a U-shaped end 31, embracing the edge of the tab29, and a thumb screw 32 is provided with a threaded stem 33 passing through the outer clamping member 30 and having a threaded connection with the tab 29. A spring 34 is placed between-the 'two clamping members, so as to hold them apart when the thumb screw is backed off, in order that the closed end of the tube may be readily inserted within the clamp.

The plate 30 as shown, is so shaped as to follow the outline of the back-plate 27, and for this purpose is provided with an. inclined or bent end 35 to lie substantially parallel with the part 27 of the plate, for as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the tab 29 is disposed at an angle to that part of the plate. The end 31 of the clamping member 30, which embraces the edge of the tab 29, will serve to hold the member 30 in place when the thumb,

screw 32 is loosened and prevent it from swinging to a position in which it would not function.- p

The slots 23 and 24 are likewise inclined at their upper ends, as shown at 36 and 37, so ask) lie substantially parallel with the backplate 27, and a roller 38 is provided with trunnions 39 which operate freely in these slots. Adjacent the upper end, the slots are provided with recesses or notches 40 and 41 so that when the roller is movedto the upper end of the slot and the thumb screw loosened, the part 35 of the clamping member by contactlng with the body 'of the roller will force the trunnions into these recesses and cause the roller to be retained at the upper end of the slots while an empty tube is being removed from the holder and a full tube inserted. The roller may be knurled as shown at 42, so that it ma 1 be more readily manipulated.

The clamping plate 30 is also guided by pins 43 and 44 secured to the back-plate, these pins also serving as stops or abutments to conas shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and 7 of the draw-.

ings, may be formed integrally with the part 29 and turned rearwardly at substantially right angles thereto. These wings are provided with openings and 51, throu h which the rod 12 is passed so that the holders may not only slide longitudinally of the rod, but

' may also rotate a out it as an axis so as to be moved from the full line to the dotted line position, shown in Fig. 1, and vice versa. In Fig. 6 of the drawings, instead of forming these wings integrally with the backplate, a separate U-shaped member consisting of the web or base piece 52 and wings 53 and 54, is secured to the part 29 by means of the rivet 55. This method'of manufacture has the advantage of permitting the holder to swing laterally about the rivet 55 so that it may be moved to a position more convenient for the user.

Preferably, the rod 12 is secured within the cabinet closely adjacent thefront edge thereof and sli htly spaced from one of the shelves or the ttom of the cabinet. The holder may then be swung down in the position shown in full lines at Fig. 1, so that the rear edges 28 of the flanges will engage the cabinet and the holder will be firmly supp rted in position. When the paste has been obtained from the tube, the holder may then be swung upwardly about the rod 12, and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, assumes a position within the cabinet, and the door may then be closed. The holder, in this position is supported b the part31 engaging the u per surface of t e shelf so that the tube wi I be maintained in a substantially vertical position and prevent the drooling of the contents.

When it is desired to insert a tube within the holder, the roller is moved upwardly to the upper end of the slots 36 and 37 and the thumb screw 32 loosened. The part-35 of the upper clamping plate is moved outwardly, due to the spring 34 and forces the Y roller trunnions into the recesses 40 and 41,

surface relatively to the tube body. It will be seen, therefore, that the inclined end 27 of the rear plate 20 .will cause this plate to conform substantially to the shape of a full tube, and the insertion-of the tube between the clamping jaws will, therefore, be atly ex edited as the closed end of the tn will f0 low the surface of the plate direct] into n also causes the full tube to lie flatly against the surface of the plate throughout substantially its entirelength, and for this reason the tube will be supported more firmly in place than if suspended away from the supporting plate.

A slight pressure of the thumb or fingers upon the knurled part of the roller will serve to express the paste from the tube, and the amount so expressed may be quite readily regulated so that the proper amount will be obtained. v

Althou h the clamp is in such a position that the flattened closed end ofthe tube will be readily received therein when the body to all the details shown but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim is:

1. A tube holder or the likecomprising a back-plate provided with side flanges, said plate being inclined forwardly adjacent its upper end to conform to the shape of the tube, and a clamping member securable to the plate adjacent the up er end thereof, and

means to urge said 0 amping member toward said plate to clamp a tube .therebetween. 2. A collapsible tube holder comprising a rear plate, a clamping member movably mounted upon said'plate adjacent the upper end thereof to form in conjunction therewith a clamp to hold a tube or the like, and means urging said clamping member toward the plate.

3. A collapsible tube holder comprising a rear plate, a clampin member mounted upon sa1d plate adjacent t e upper end thereof to form in con unction therewith a clamp to hold a tube or the like, and means urging said clamping member in a direction away from the plate, and meansto hold said clamping member against the'plate in opposition to said first named means.

4. A collapsible tube holder, comprising a su port, means for clamping a tube thereon, si e flanges on said support having slots therein, and a roller mounted in said slots,

and means including a part of said clamping means for retaining the roller at one end of the slots. I

5. A collapsible tube holder,'comprising a support, means for clamping a tube thereon, side flanges on said support having slots therein, and a roller mounted in sa1d slots, and means for retaining the roller at one end of the slots when said clamping means is in position to receive a tube, and said roller be, ing automatically released when the tube 1s secured by said clamping means. v

6. A collapsible tube holder or the like, provided with a rear supporting plate, a clamping member cooperating w1th sa1d plate to clamp a tube holder therebetween, resilient means to urge said clamping member away from the plate, side flanges mounted on said plate having slots therein, and a roller disposed in said slots, the upper ends of said slots being provided with recesses and said clamping member extending below the upper ends of said slots whereby when said member is forced outwardly by its spring the roller. is retained in said recess.

7. In combination, a rod, means for securing said rod to a fixed support, a tube holder, means for clamping a tube to said holder, said holder being provided with rearwardly extending wings, and said wings having perforations through which said rod passes.

8. In combination, a supporting member, means for securing said, member adjacent the edge of a shelf or the like, a tube holder pivotally secured to said member, adapted to swing to a downhanging position and also to an upstanding position, and means upon said holder to contact with the shelf to support the former when in upstanding position.

9. In combination, a supporting rod, a tube holder having means for securing a tube thereto, and means projecting from said holder and pivotally connected to said rod to swingingly support the tube holder about an axis without the latter.

holder pivotally mounted thereon, cooperating clamping members 'on said holder movable to clamp a tube thereon and release it therefrom, said holder having a back-plate against which the tube is adapted to lie, and

means cooperating with said plate to express the tube contents from the tube.

10. A holder for collapsible tubes or the like, comprising a supporting member, a tube In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 

